[MD] Capitalism and "the free market" was: (redux ad nauseum)

[Stella Lindblom]

Den 2006-10-28 05:42:54 skrev Jaclyn Engele <JENGELE at mass.rr.com>:

>> Stella Lindblom scurvy_elephant at bluebottle.com
>> Fri Oct 27 07:44:43 PDT 2006
>
> That was some of the most interesting information I have ever read about  
> economics.  Please do go on.  this is worth the price of admission just  
> for your lectures.  Your words have the ring of truth to them and I am  
> sure you have much more enlightening things to say to us all.

Oh, thank you. I'm not very used to such praise. I have lots that I want  
to bring up to discussion, though I cannot myself decide on the level of  
enlightenment.

> This is just why I joined this group.  First I wanted to apply the MoQ  
> to specific problems in my personal life and integrate it throughout my  
> life.  then I wanted to use the framework to 'learn' anew, essentially,  
> everything.

Pirsig starts his journey in anthropology, but I believe he could have  
started in Economics too. But then, he had studied anthropology, not  
economics... I have studied a little of a lot of things, and I have  
realized that I see patterns that elude most other people. What Pirsig  
wrote made lots of sense to me, and made it even easier to understand my  
own twirling thoughts.

> Economics was always something that nagged at me.  I knew I'd have to  
> look into it sometime but it has always been too daunting a task.

Yeah, it always nagged me too. I was also daunted by it, but when I  
started to take an interest, I realized that it is in many ways a smoke  
screen to keep people out.

> I'm interested to see how you handle Mr. Holden's objections, I know you  
> haven't even begun.

This is an interesting topic in it's own right. I have seen lots of hard  
words and, to a non-american, non-understandable behaviour that we  
normally just see in talk-shows by Ricky Lake and Jerry Springer et al.  
There is a resarch done at IBM on how people from (58) different cultures  
argue. We are different, all right, and Swedes and Murcans differ hugely.  
The bottom line though, is that I am going to act "swedishly" here,  
arguing in the way I'm accustomed to. Swedes seek common ground step by  
step in an argument. We dislike shouting and big words. We are not in it  
for personal gain, we are in the discussion to find the best solution for  
the group. So, if Mr. Holden starts to shout, I'm out of here - as I have  
stated before. I'm not in this discussion to be acknowledged or to spread  
The Truth as I see it. I'm in it to kneed my knowledge, to turn it into  
wisdom, and if I cannot find it here, I'll search for another arena where  
I may find it. But I hope to find it here, because here are witted people  
with the same understanding of Quality that I make use of to understand  
much in life. I don't mind Mr. Holden objecting to things I say, as long  
as he adds to the wisdomization of the topic. But from all the warnings I  
have got on the contrary, I am weary, and I do tread lightly, observing  
every step I take in this.

> Regarding your English, rest assured, there are many of us who will cut  
> you some slack, or a lot as the case may be.  I suspect though that if  
> you are Swedish? Norwegian?(not Danish because I think Screv is spelled  
> Scrive or Scriv in Danish) then you have learned the English language  
> from British sources.  I am aware that many Scandinavians have a better  
> command of the English language than those of us from North America for  
> just that reason.

The up-side of speaking a small native tongue. Tv shows are never dubbed -  
unless for children's shows - so we hear lots of english (and an  
assortment of other languages) every day. There is still the problem with  
Value (yet again). I don't have the native feeling for English as I have  
for Swedish and may use words erratically or blend sociolects which may  
give my writings a humorous slant that isn't intended. The interpretation  
of y'all's posts are not necessarily correct either, so I may  
misunderstand or miss things. And, to be honest - you don't have the first  
idea as to how long it took me to write this message, no?

About the spellings in the Scandinavian languages. Correctly, I'm  
surprised! Write is "skriva" in Swedish and "skrive" in Danish and  
Norwegian. AFAIK "wrote" is "skrev" in all of them. (The pronounciations  
is a totally different thing, though. "Skriva" in Swedish sounds more like  
"skrEEj-vAh". Norwegian: skrEE-veh, and Danish: skwI-uh.)

Regards,
Stella

-- 
Stella Lindblom
Ransby 126
686 97 LYSVIK
0565-803 88 / 070-692 14 82